Senate Says, "No Protection for You"

The Senate on Thursday voted to kill a bill that would have added family caregivers to the Maine Human Rights Act as a protected class.

After winning a 100-40 vote in the House, the Senate moved to indefinitely postpone the measure. The Maine Women’s Lobby, which has pushed hard for the bill, released a statement Friday expressing their concern about the bill’s future.

“In this economy, no hardworking Mainer should be denied employment opportunities simply because she is a mother or caregiver,” said lobbyist Laura Harper.

A family caregiver is defined as someone who cares for a “child, parent, spouse, domestic partner or sibling,” according to the bill.

The House tabled the bill on Friday.